Machine for pressing pulp articles



Feb. 3, 1953 Filed OQI'.. 18, 1949 M. P. CHAPLIN MACHINE FOR PRESSING PULP ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet l rroPA/EY Feb. 3, 1953 M P. CHAPLIN MACHINE FOR PRESSING PULP ARTICLES Filed 001,. 18, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

MER/ E P (m4n M/ MMM HTTOPNEY Feb. 3, 1953 M. P. cHAPLlN 2,627,211

MACHINE FOR PRES-SING PULP ARTICLES Filed oct. 1s, 1949 s sheets-sheet 5 l PLE E l 4 l 3/3 3/4 u' 3/2 INVENTOR. MERLE l? CHHPL /A/ am 55 BY HTTP/VEY of the parts is reduced to a minimum, wear is minimized and considerably less maintenance is required.

Features of the invention other than those specified will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In said drawingsi Fig. 1 is a fragmental radial section through a machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view taken from the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the hold down device of this invention looking from the left hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 5 of Fig. 2.

For the purpose of illustrative disclosure of the present invention, I have chosen to show the same in the accompanying drawings as incorporated in a machine such as illustrated in my prior Patent No. 2,388,829, and I have shown in the accompanying drawings only so much of the machine as will make the adaptation of the invention thereto clear and explicit. In the following detailed description the reference characters used will, so far as is practical, be the Same as those found in my said patent for corresponding parts of the machine.

The machine of the accompanying drawings is provided with a base mounted upon and riveted, welded or otherwise rmly secured to a structural steel platform which constitutes a firm foundation for the whole structure. On said base is supported a hollow vertical shaft |00. On the lower portion of this shaft is mounted a plurality of lower radial arms |02, corresponding in number to the number of drying die couples in the machine and forming a carrier for the lower dies. To the upper portion of the shaft |00 are rigidly alnxed a corresponding number of upper radial arms |03 forming a carrier for the upper dies. 'Io the under side of each of these upper arms and near its outer end is secured a heater plate 8| and to the under side of which is fixed an upper drying die 80. A corresponding lower mating die 90 is mounted on a heater plate 9| which is in turn supported on a co-axial spindle |05. This spindle is mounted for vertical reciprocation in a spindle bearing |02a carried by and rigid with the subjacent lower arm |02. Below said bearing the spindle is provided at its lower end with rollers |01 which run over an arcuate cam track |08, supported on compression springs I4 which may be adjusted to regulate the amount of pressure placed on the article between the upper and lower dies during various stages of drying.

Embracing the outer ends of the lower radial arms |02 is an annular gear 86 extending en tirely around the machine and this gear is intermittently driven through connections such as described in my said prior patent, to rotate the arms |02 and |03 and the shaft |00 about the axis of said shaft in an intermittent manner, with intervening periods of dwell to permit of the transfer of formed articles to the drying dies and their subsequent removal from said dies in finished condition-all as fully described in my said prior patent.

During rest periods between bodily rotation of the dies, articles are placed on the lower drying dies, while the latter are in lowered position, are raised into contact with the corresponding upper mating dies and then progressively compressed for a portion of the rotary cycle. During this interval the pressure is built up as the dies are progressively moved until compression reaches the maximum. Thereafter progressive movements of the dies are accompanied by a progressive decrease in pressure. At the point of substantially maximum compression in the circumferential movement of the dies, the hold down device of the present invention is positioned. It embodies the structure next to be described.

Mounted on a structural platform 30| which supports the base 20 is a structural steel footing 302, all parts of which are welded together and to the platform so as to form a rigid anchorage for the hold down device. To this footing is rmly bolted or welded a base plate 303 on which are superimposed two upright columns 304, arranged in vertical, spaced apart relation and connected to one another by gusset plates or webs 305 welded to both columns. A top plate 306 is secured to the upper end of these columns by welding or otherwise.

Inasmuch as the columns are spaced apart in a direction radially of the shaft |00 they will constitute a rigid assembly eiectually braced in this radial direction. They are braced against deection in a direction circumferentially of the machine by means of tie rods 301 which pass through a yoke 303 welded to one of said columns and anchored at their lower ends to the footing 302, as shown best in Fig. 4. The columns 304 are thus firmly braced in all directions against lateral deflection.

Resting upon the upper surface of the top plate 30S is a cap plate 309. This cap plate carries a bracket 3|0 positioned midway between the lateral edges of the plate and extending to overlie the upper portions of the outer ends of the upper arms |03. The free end of this bracket carries :an upright stub shaft 3|| and this shaft in turn carries a tie roller 3I2 Vsupported on the stub shaft with interposed anti-friction bearings 3|3, yas shown best in Fig. 6. The roller 3 I2 is thus free to rotate while in engagement with the inner periphery of a track 3| 4. This track is of annular form. It extends entirely around the machine and is superimposed upon a reinforcing ring 3 l 5 welded to the top of the upper arms l 03, i. e. to the carrier of the upper dies, as best shown in Fig. 1. The track Sie and ring 3| 5 form a rigid construction :against which the roller 3| 2 may engage to radially tie together the hold down device and the rotary parts of the drying unit of the machine. The track Vand ring are reinforced in a vertical direction by 4an annular skirt plate 35 which embraces the outer end of the several `arms |03.

Mounted on the opposite sides of the bracket 3|0 on the cap plate 30S are a pair of fittings 3|? each of which supports a horizontal stub shaft 3 l 8 shown best in Fig. 5. Each of these stub shafts projects inwardly over the track 3M and carries a roller 3|9 with interposed anti-friction bearings 320. These two rollers 3|9 both engage with and are adapted to ride upon the upper surface of the track 3H! and function as hold down rollers to withstand upward yielding of the arms |03 under the upward pressure imparted by the` lower dies 00.

The rollers 3|2 radially tie together the hold down device and the drying unit while the rollers 3l@ hold down the upper dies 00 so that they cannot yield to upward pressure during that portion of the rotary cycle of operation where such pressure is at its maximum. In the machine with which the present invention is shown as associated, a single hold down device positioned 'as stated will thoroughly safeguard the parts against breakage or undesirable flexion or yielding and permit the die supporting parts of the drier unit to be made relatively light for the reasons hereinbefore described. Two or more of such hold down units may be desirable in some machines, the same being spaced apart about the path of travel of the dies as circumstances may require but a single hold down device is sufficient in the machine described.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for making pulp articles wherein a plurality of die couples each composed of upper and lower mating dies are carried by upper and lower carriers supported on a vertical shaft mounted on a firm foundation to travel through an endless orbit with each of the lower dies of said couples progressively applying t0 an interposed pulp article pressure which increases to a predetermined maximum for a portion or the travel of said dies through said orbit and thereafter progressively decreases during la further portion of such travel, the improvement which comprises: an endless annular track common to all of the upper dies mounted at a xed horizontal elevation on and coaxially rotatable with the carrier of said upper dies, a. single holddown device rigidly anchored to the foundation and upstanding exteriorly of and contiguous to said orbit at the zone of maximum pressure of said die couples in said orbit, a hold-down roller carried by the hold-down device .and non-yieldably engaging the upper surface of said track during the passage of progressive portions of such track through said zone of maximum pressure, and a tie roller also carried by the hold-down device and engaging with the inner periphery of said track.

2. A :machine as claimed in claim l, wherein there are a plurality of hold-down rollers engaging the upper surface of said track, and yan additional tie roller :acting against the inner periphery of said track in said opening of maximum pressure.

3. A machine as claimed in claim l, wherein there are two hold-down rollers engaging the upper surface of said track, and a single interposed tie roller acting upon the inner periphery of the track in said zone of maximum pressure.

l4. A machine `as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hold-down device embodies a plurality of upright columns laterally spaced from one another and braced against deflection both radi-ally and tangentially of the machine. f

MERLE P. CHAPLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 19,856 Chapman Feb. 18, 1936 1,080,114 LaPorte Dec. 2, 1913 1,278,829 Beck Sept. 17, 1918 1,296,810 Kapplehoff Mar. 11, 1919 2,203,343 Stack June 4, 1940 2,388,828 Chaplin Nov. 13, 1945 

